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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Healthy Families Research Program, directed by Dr. Sarah Smith, is located within the University of New Hampshire Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the Healthy Families Research Program is to support families’ everyday health and wellness through research and community engagement. Please browse this website to learn more about the program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Families today experience seemingly more demands than ever before.\u00a0We are busy with the ongoing\u00a0obligations of our work, economic needs, school, recreational, and children’s activities.\u00a0The role of technology in our lives and the constant flow of information coming our way impacts families in ways not yet fully known.\u00a0 Creating time to be a family together, doing (or not doing!) those things that we want, need, or are expected\u00a0to do as a family can be challenging.\u00a0For families with children with complex\u00a0health care needs, these challenges can increase due to the need to prepare and think\u00a0through the\u00a0details of everyday activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I, Dr. Sarah Smith, am an occupational therapist and an associate professor in the UNH Department of Occupational Therapy and the director of this research program. I have been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years.\u00a0 During my time working in schools and outpatient therapy settings, I recognized the need for services that supported not only an individual child’s activity participation but also the whole families’ participation in everyday activities that families wanted and needed to do such as playing\/relaxing together, going to a community event, or having a family meal.\u00a0 I noticed a lack of services supporting families to develop the ability to participate in activities together because much emphasis was understandably placed on the development of the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an occupational therapist, I support people’s participation in everyday “occupations”, or the everyday activities of life\u00a0that we want and need to do that bring us meaning.\u00a0As a researcher, I am\u00a0interested in the\u00a0relationship of our engagement in occupations\u00a0with our overall health and well being.\u00a0 From the family perspective,\u00a0the current demands on families potentially impact\u00a0our ability to participate in occupations as a family and thus may threaten family cohesion, adaptability,\u00a0and well being.\u00a0 Evidence suggests that family togetherness, balance, and intentional living can promote family health and wellness.\u00a0The Healthy Families Research Program seeks to understand and support the specific factors and processes that promote strong family health, as well as the relationship between family participation in everyday activities and family health in order to inform effective family\u00a0interventions within the healthcare system.\u00a0\u00a0Promoting family engagement in everyday routines and activities toward strong family health and wellness\u00a0is the heart of my\u00a0Healthy Families Research Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n